Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m a bit late to the party with Wanderers. I came across it mid-2021 and it sat at the bottom of my to-read pile for six months. Whether it was the 780 pages that put me off, or the real-world weariness of reading something about a global pandemic, who’s to say, but I would recommend anyone who is on the fence about this book to dive in.

I found Wanderers incredibly fun to read – especially if you enjoy books in the Stephen King or Michael Crichton genres. Its story is fast-paced and the chapters are short, making it a quick read in spite of its girth. It’s the science, mixed with the fiction, that makes this brand of horror even scarier – you could believe this could happen.

But, if you’re concerned, this book won’t trigger any PTSD from the current coronavirus pandemic; even though, almost prophetically, that word does pop up in a scene at the CDC headquarters. Given this was written in 2019, it makes it even more chilling.

Initially, reading the back cover, I was a little turned off by the character descriptions. “A decadent rocker, religious radio host, and a teenage girl”…pass. Almost immediately though, I found all of the characters compelling, and even likable, in each of their own, flawed, ways. Two pivotal characters missing from the cover description are Benji, the disgraced former CDC director, and Black Swan, the sentient computer. Their addition, along with the sadistic junkyard owner (who definitely would have stormed the Capital in real life) and former cop with a metal plate in her head, improve the story rather than distract from it. I never found myself wanting to get through one’s storyline faster to get to another. They each offered something thought provoking – whether it being true to yourself, questioning your beliefs, healing from trauma, or doing what you think is right for the greater good at extreme cost.

At this point in our own pandemic, you’ll be able to relate to society’s collapse. You’ll recognize the polarizing responses people have during crisis and uncertainty. You’ll be able to picture the decadent rocker, hear the religious radio host, and feel for the teenage girl.

Wanderers packs a lot in and leaves you wanting more. Thankfully, the end of the book tosses in a few major twists and sets things up nicely for a sequel (cue Wayward, which comes out in August 2022

I’d recommend this book.




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